So far, the basis for this idea that African Americans are killed by police at a higher percentage of their population is anecdotal. Here’s an example: almost every Black man I know has a story of being arrested by the police and being very scared. Although I’ve been stopped by police for several traffic issues, I never felt scared and perhaps, I have not been stopped as often as my black, male friends. I’m going to assume this is true (people of color are stopped more often than whites) —at least for now. When you read the editorial you may change your mind. That fact leads many of us to conclude that killings of black offenders by police is also higher than is the case in the white criminal community.

So why are more black people stopped for traffic offenses and other petty crimes? Is this still racism?

Many police departments now use a data-driven approach to fighting crime. For instance, they may use a tool called ComStat in which police target high crime areas and put more patrols in those neighborhoods and, therefore, end up stopping more people. And for whatever reasons, African American neighborhoods tend to have higher crime rates—which would trigger ComStat to direct more police onto the streets there. Does this explain why more arrests are made in these communities? Or do we come back to police racism again?

Of course, it’s not an easy question to answer. At least Ms. MacDonald has attempted to clear-up some of the fog by researching and reporting her numbers. I think it’s worth considering.

About Colin Nelson

Colin T. Nelson worked for 40 years as a prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer in Minneapolis. He tried everything from speeding tickets to first degree murder. His writing about the courtroom and the legal system give the reader a "back door" view of what goes on, what's funny, and what's a good story. He has also traveled extensively and includes those locations in his mysteries. Some are set in Southeast Asia, Ecuador,Peru, and South Africa. Readers get a suspenseful tale while learning about new places on the planet. Colin is married, has two adult children, and plays the saxophone in various bands.